They have placed a value of £8m on the player, though. But Boro's £4.5m bid has fallen way short.

Earlier this summer, Brentford chief executive Mark Devlin reiterated the club's desire to hold on to the attacker.

"As far as we are concerned, Jota will be playing his football at Griffin Park next season," he told Sky Sports.

Justin Setterfield/GettyImages

"There will be lots of conjecture about players from all clubs, particularly those that performed well last year. Jota came back into the side in January and was fantastic for the final few months of the season.

"It's no surprise he's been catching the eye but Jota and the rest of the squad will be back in pre-season in July."

It is believed that the Teesiders will return with an improved bid before the close of the transfer window, yet it's expected to be £2m short of Brentford's valuation.

There's also interest from Leeds United, as well as Hull City. Both clubs have lost key players this season, with the Whites selling striker Chris Wood to Burnley and Tigers' forward Abel Hernandez being ruled out of action for the rest of 2017.

The Bees could see a flurry of offers come in for Jota in the coming days. But as things stand, he doesn't look to be going anywhere just yet.

You May Like

More Soccer

Sign Up for our Newsletter

Don't get stuck on the sidelines! Sign up to get exclusives, daily highlights, analysis and more—delivered right to your inbox!